Education Minister V. Sivankutty's suggestion that there should be no entrance exam for admission to first class in the state could have come a little earlier. That is because, many schools, including government schools, have already started or are moving towards admissions for the next academic year. Admissions have already started in almost all schools in the private sector. Only schools that do not have a big glamour or pomposity are waiting for new students. The Education Minister says that entrance exams for first-class students cannot be accepted. Doesn't the Minister know the reality that this suggestion has been in place for a long time? Just saying that strong action would be taken against schools that conduct entrances does not cut the mustard. Action should be taken as said.
Widespread advertisements regarding admissions to classes including the first class of the next academic year are seen from the middle of the academic year itself. Government intervention is needed at this stage itself. Only then can undesirable trends be prevented and equal justice for children be ensured. Along with the entrance examination, action should be taken to end the excessive exploitation carried out by the PTA in government schools and the management in private schools in the name of fund collection. Although there is some control in government schools over the amount collected at the time of admission, there is no such control in self-financing schools. Admission is granted only if the amount asked is paid. In the case of top schools, the amount can go up to half a lakh and one lakh. Today, the cost of studying in the KG class and other classes in the state is on par with studying professional courses! The minister said that there are schools that conduct interviews for parents in addition to the first-class entrance examination.
The minister said that there is no need for formal studies in the first class. However, isn't it the government itself that is preparing the first-class textbooks and providing them to the children? Many old ways of thinking will have to be abandoned if the student body wants to adapt to the education system that is changing from outdated systems and adapting to modern knowledge. Kerala is facing a huge loss due to the non-acceptance of the policies introduced by the Centre at the school level. Kerala's education policy is also hindering the allocation of the plan allocated for the school education sector in the central budget. Crores are being lost due to this. It is pointless to say that Kerala has already implemented many of the things included in the central plan. Some suggestions are yet to be implemented. Ways should be found to get maximum funds from the centre.
The central budget has allocated Rs 500 crore to start innovative model classes to equip the new generation with AI technology. Our universities can excel in this field. Universities should come forward to make the most of this opportunity. In the context of artificial intelligence's critical impact increasing in all sectors, we cannot afford to back down. We should also enable our children to take advantage of the three new centres of excellence for AI. At the same time, the technical education sector should be significantly modernized. Although there is a separate university for the technical education sector, there is not enough time to issue certificates promptly to the children who pass the exam due to the in fight happening there. All of them are playing ball with the future of the children. The government should take steps to put an end to the great betrayal committed against the young generation by those who climb the administrative level of universities solely through political power.